The reels in Loose Cannon are packed full of pirate paraphernalia including maps, muskets and monkeys as well as treasure chests and bottles of rum. The ones to keep a special eye on are the Wild Ship and the Compass.
The Ship acts as the Wild and when it appears on reel 3 it triggers the Wild Cannon Bonus feature. The Wild will transform into a stacked wild to fill the whole of the reel. These wilds will then set off a volley of cannon fire, transforming a random selection of symbols into Wilds as well.
It's possible that all 15 symbols on the reel can become Wild which of course is a very lucrative proposition. Even if the guns don't deliver the full 15, there's still plenty of opportunities to secure a big win here.
The Free Spins feature is triggered when the Compass Scatter symbol appears on reels 1, 3 and 5 - you'll be awarded 15 free spins. There's the chance to add more as the free spins can be re-triggered if you hit the Scatters again. There’s a maximum of 2,025 times your stake to be won here so it can be lucrative.
Likewise, the Wild Cannon Bonus feature can be activated during free spins making it even more potentially profitable. The 243 ways to win game engine keeps the smaller wins flowing in the base game. In terms of variance, it's on the low side of medium so you should get plenty of play from Loose Cannon regardless of the size of your bankroll.
Microgaming has spared nothing in the look and feel of Loose Cannon. The graphics are excellent - the symbols are superbly drawn, all set against a pirate ship backdrop that including Jolly Rogers, shimmering ocean waves and a mysterious island. The sound is quality too whether it's the explosive effects when the Wild Cannon Bonus is triggered or the insanely catchy sea shanty that accompanies the action in the base game.
The pirate-theme has been well and truly plundered by online slots developers. Microgaming has come up with a winner in Loose Cannon though. The Wild Cannon Bonus is a cracker and offers some great chances to win. It looks and sounds a treat too. If you like pirate-themed slots, you have NetEnt’s Ghost Pirates which is a better slot in my opinion.